DJ Uiagalelei's Ascent Praised by Twitter amid Heisman Race as Clemson Tops NC State

No. 5 Clemson earned its biggest win of the season and remains unbeaten after taking down No. 10 North Carolina State 30-20 on Saturday.

With the result, Tigers star DJ Uiagalelei continued to breathe some life into his fledgling Heisman Trophy campaign. The junior quarterback finished 21-of-30 through the air for 209 yards and one touchdown and ran for another 73 yards and two scores.

Uiagalelei displayed his touch on a seven-yard touchdown pass to Jake Briningstool in the third quarter—the kind of throw that won't go unnoticed by NFL scouts.

In general, his poise in the pocket is a significant departure from 2021, when he finished with more interceptions than touchdowns and completed just 55.6 percent of his passes.

The 6'4", 235-pound signal-caller has faced lofty expectations dating back to high school because of his size and athleticism. After his development got derailed, he appears to be firmly back on track.

When it comes to the Heisman race, Uiagalelei remains an outsider.

Ohio State's CJ Stroud arguably has the inside track, and reigning winner Bryce Young is right behind. The Alabama quarterback suffered a shoulder injury against Arkansas, though, so his availability going forward is a bit unclear. Young's exit Saturday might have opened the door for another contender, teammate Jahmyr Gibbs anyway.

Even if the Heisman Trophy is a long shot for Uiagalelei, his improvement puts Clemson on solid footing for a College Football Playoff bid.